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2 Why do we need multicultural education?Jim Cummins (3) writes, “In many societies throughout the world, students who experience the most persistent and severe educational difficulties tend to come from communities that, over generations, have been discriminated against and viewed as inherently inferior by the dominant societal group…

3 Why do we need multicultural education?…Schools reflect the values and attitudes of the broader society that supports them and so it is hardly surprising that in the United States students from African American, Latino/Latina, and Native American communities have experienced extensive devaluation of their cultures and languages within the school context.”

6 What are some objections to multicultural education?Revisionist approach to historyEmphasis on group achievement over individual successAnti-assimilationist

7 What are some criticisms of multicultural education?Poorly planned or incomplete programs…Essentialize different culturesSupplemental “tourist” curriculumPromote tolerance over transformation

8 Tolerance vs. TransformationPrejudice is individualFacts and interaction will helpMulticultural education only for minority studentsHolidays and food“Other” culturesAppreciation, enjoyment, and tolerancePrejudice institutional as well as interpersonalRacism means of controlAnti-bias education for all studentsCommunities involved with curriculum and everyday activitiesSelf-identityEmpathy for others

9 How can we apply multicultural education’s guiding principles?Systemic levelPower, influence, and authorityConnections with race/ethnicityFactors in decision-makingReforms to deep structureTeacher training and recruitmentDe-tracking

10 What Native Schools and School leaders can doEducate teacherson Native American historyon community issuesEnsure ongoing supportMatching white teachers with supportive & knowledgeable tribal leadersMentoring processes should be detailed and rigorously implementedCreate a culture of safety

11 Necessary components for successDeep support from local communityFundingLeadershipThoughtful and open dialogue

12 Culturally Appropriate SchoolsIncreased relevanceNeed for balanceDifficult to teach Native children when teachers know little about the history, culture, and communities in which they teach

13 Culture, Community, & EducationEmphasize community, culture, and traditionNative beliefs and value systemsAcculturation—blending traditional values & principles with current & appropriate educational concepts, technologies and contentApplying what they learn in the classroom to the communities in which they liveStudies supporting culturally linked school programs

19 Lessons from the MaoriGood teaching has a positive effect on the psychological, socio-cultural, and sociolinguistic development of the student.Rules of practicePractical principlesImages

20 What White Teachers can do to Strengthen Native LearningFind mentorsGet educatedKnow and participate in the communityQuestion personal knowledge of historical “facts”Create materialsExpect measured successPush for training

21 Classroom Environment: What we do knowMost native children learn best when hands-on, experiential teaching & learning approaches are used.A positive relationship exists between students’ academic learning and their strong sense of cultural identity.Informal and flexible learning environments

22 How can we best use materials for multicultural education?Check all materials for biasVariety of materialsVariety of sourcesTeacher, student, or community-created materialsExplicitly discuss differences

23 Difficulties of ImplementationMismatch between NCLB programs and the research base on Native American learning

24 ConclusionThe benefits of establishing multicultural education can be great; as described by Manu’atu (p. 9), “The learning environment becomes familiar to all the participants. Using [students’] ways of communicating and representing the world means establishing a situation that enables meaningful communication between the student and the context, the text, the tutor and the student, the student and the other students, the students and parents. Besides, including the [students’] personal lived experiences in the educative process brings forth their apprehension of subject-content under study.”

26 SourcesLearn-Ed Nations Inventory, A Tool for Improving Schools with American Indian and Alaska Native Students published by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2002.Manu'atu, Linita; Kepa, Mere (2001). A Critical Theory to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL): The Promising Focus for Indigenous Perspectives. ERIC Document Number EDStarnes, B. (2006). What we don’t know can hurt them: White teachers, Indian children. Phi Delta Kappan, 87,Yazzie, Tarajean (1999). Culturally Appropriate Curriculum: A Research Based Rationale. ERIC Document Number ED